Author's Notes: This was written one hazy Friday morning as a component to an in-class novel study. I was required to pick a scene from Isabel Allende's House of the Spirits and rewrite and/or add to it. Me, being the morbidity addict that I am, chose the scene of Rosa the Beautiful's death in the first chapter. It's fairly short—expected of a three-minute work—but, for those who read the book, it is something I believe to be an accurate expression of Clara's point of view regarding her sister's death. For those who haven't read House of the Spirits, it is a peculiar and mature read at best, incorporating everything from rape to incest to casual prostitution, but it's still a brilliant novel (in my opinion of course). I would recommend it to my older readers, and also to those possessing enough maturity to look upon such topics with a sense of realization. All in all, enjoy.
The Wake
By Rykea Night
I woke the next morning, muted sunlight casting hazy shadows throughout the room. A chilling cold rested next to me while the wondrous scent of rose overpowered my senses. Turning, I saw the sight I had so many times before, beautiful Rosa unmoving in the bed next to me, her honeydew eyes perfectly open in a sort of mythological serenity. Caught within death's grasp, her elegance continued to radiate, turning the splendor of the room to the forgotten and mundane.
As Nana's footsteps entered the abode, I felt her shock claw at the contours of her mind as she fell to her knees, her eyes drifting from Rosa's ethereal green locks to my captivated state. Her grief and horror washed over me, feelings I had experienced so many times before, sights I could remember even with the closing of my eyes. It was not that I felt nothing for Rosa—I had felt anguish for her death so many times before. But after experiencing the same event time and time again...
There was no sadness left to share.